PE 1450 
. K4 
1910 
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Where Opportunity Waits 


^NE has only to go briefly into the careers of 
many of the most successful business and 
V\ professional men to appreciate the wonderful 
opportunities that stenography opens to ambi¬ 
tious young men. The business world is full of exam¬ 
ples of men who have reached positions of wealth and 
influence simply through the opportunities that short¬ 
hand gave them to develop and use their inherent pow¬ 
ers. Many young men endowed with all the qualities 
for success in business often fail to reach that success 
because they lack the opportunity to show what they 
can do. Shorthand gives them that opportunity, be¬ 
cause it brings them directly in touch with the employ¬ 
ers—and employers are constantly on the lookout for 
capable, efficient men for more responsible service. 

SYSTEM, the great business magazine, recently 
said: 

One day, when President Cleveland was called upon 
for some extra work he asked the Fourth Assistant 
Postmaster General to send a good stenographer up to 
the White House. The Fourth Assistant Postmaster 
General returned to his office and sent up George B. 
Cortelyou—because he was on the job and he had 
shown he could do the thing right. 

One day, when ex-President Roosevelt was governor 
of New York, he asked his secretary to get a stenog¬ 
rapher quickly for some rush work. The secretary 
grabbed William Loeb, Jr., and rushed him into the 
governor’s office—because he was on the job and he 
had shown he could do the thing right. 

There are many reasons why the young man stenog¬ 
rapher enjoys extraordinary advantages. In handling 
the correspondence, he is constantly brought into con¬ 
tact with the directing heads of a business—has an 
opportunity to study advanced business methods, to 
observe how high-priced executives work, and to learn 
the secrets of management, sales promotion, advertis¬ 
ing, successful business policies, and a host of other 


A 





things that now enter into our complex commercial 
life. The stenographer gets a comprehensive grasp 
of the general science of business that is almost im¬ 
possible to other employees, because it is the corre¬ 
spondence of a house that reflects its very heart beats. 
He gets a training that the universities and colleges do 
not give—and he gets it from past masters of business, 
men who have daily opportunities to test the value of 
their theories, for in business the law of the survival of 
the fittest is always operative. 

The young man ambitious to succeed, anxious to 
work up to a position of the highest responsibility, 
need not hestitate a moment about taking up short¬ 
hand. If he has ability, energy, and push, he can rest 
assured that the business world will not lose time in 
giving him ample opportunity to make use of his tal¬ 
ents. 

And there is another side to the question. Short¬ 
hand offers opportunities for immediate and profitable 
employment. That is a consideration not to be over¬ 
looked. There has not been a time in the history of 
Gregg School when a competent young man stenog¬ 
rapher could not have his choice of many desirable 
positions. 

A young woman desiring to become self-supporting 
and independent can find no more congenial or profit¬ 
able employment than that of stenography. The work 
requires htde physical effort and is dignified and 
healthful. The surroundings are usually pleasant, and 
the earnings of well-trained stenographers are much 
higher than are those of women engaged in other 
clerical work. The knowledge a woman gains of 
business methods from her experience as a stenog¬ 
rapher gives her a tremendous advantage. In fact, a 
good, workable knowledge of shorthand and type¬ 
writing is really an insurance for future independence 
Hregg School graduates are in demand all the time. 

Every day that you earn less than you would if 
specially trained you lose the difference between good 
pay and poor. 




PUNCTUATION 

SIMPLIFIED 


BY 

J. CLIFFORD KENNEDY 

President ( 1901 ) National Shorthand Teachers’ Association; 
Vice-President ( 1902 ) National Commercial 
Teachers' Federation 



THE GREGG PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1910 


NEW YORK 


CHICAGO 


PREFACE. 



This little book is designed for either class or 
private use. It is complete enough for interest¬ 
ing class-work, yet sufficiently simple and free 
from technical terms to be understood without 
the explanations of a teacher. 

With the exception of the comma, the discus¬ 
sion of each mark is assigned to one lesson. The 
comma requires considerably more attention 
than the other marks, and so is handled in three 
lessons. 

The lessons that are to be punctuated by the 
student are important. Their marking will 
serve as a visible proof of one’s understanding 
of the work gone over. 

The cases illustrating the comma are re-ar¬ 
ranged from the excellent text-book, “Essen¬ 
tials of English,” to which credit is herewith 
given. 

The Author. 


Copyright, 1911, By JOHN R. GREGG 


©Cl. A 283633 


FIRST LESSON. 


THE PERIOD. 

Little need be said about the period. Every 
reader knows its use fairly well. 

The Period is used 

1. At the end of all sentences that are not 
interrogatory or exclamatory. 

(Almost every sentence in this book is an illustration of this 
statement.) 

2. After abbreviations. 

Examples _Inst., ult., prox., Dr. 

3. After titles of books, articles, and head¬ 
ings of chapters. 

Examples. —“The Right of Way.” “Jack Rob¬ 
ert’s Disappearance.” “How the Hero Gave 
His Word.” 

4. After all Koman numerals, and Arabic 
figures when used to number lessons, para¬ 
graphs, and problems. 

Examples. —I. II. VI. Lesson 6. 

5. Between dollars and cents expressed in 
figures. 

Example.— $ 1 . 25 . 

6. After initials. 

Examples.— S. S. Packard, W. N. Ferris. 


5 


SECOND LESSON. 


THE INTERROGATION. 

Use the Interrogation Point 

1. After a direct question. 

Example. —Where were you going? 

2. After a question, or questions, within a 
sentence that is a statement or a command. 

Examples. —“Is he not able to pay the money ?” 
asked Portia. “What have you to say?” 
he demanded. 

3. In a series after the individual members, 
each one of which might be expanded into a 
complete sentence. 

Examples. —“But does anyone speak with se¬ 
rious disparagement of the young Ferdi¬ 
nands? of our elder friend? of Billikens and 
Squire Purdy? 

4. Enclosed in parentheses in a sentence to 
indicate that a statement is used in a question¬ 
able manner. 

Examples. —Yes, he has shown himself your 
best ( ?) friend. 

The first extensive discoveries of gold were in 
California (?) in 1849. 


6 


THIRD LESSON. 

THE EXCLAMATION. 

The exclamatory sentence is often similar in 
form to the interrogatory sentence, assuming the 
form of a question. However, it is usually not 
a difficult matter to determine which mark to 
use. If it is obvious that no answer is expected, 
that the interrogatory form is used for em¬ 
phasis, the exclamation-point should be used. 

Use an Exclamation Point 

1. After a word, clause, or sentence indicat¬ 
ing surprise, emotion, etc. 

Examples. —“A Daniel is come to judgment! 

0 wise young judge, how I do honor you! 

How much elder are you than your looks!” 

“War! the world’s had war enough!” 


7 


FOURTH LESSON. 

Exercise on the use of the Period, Interrogation 
point and Exclamation point. (All other 
marks are inserted.) 

“How was that Jim” I asked 

Geoffrey Chaucer; born 1340; died 1400 (Indi¬ 
cate doubt as to the year of Chaucer’s birth.) 

“Well, who knows anything about it” he ques¬ 
tioned 

“What’s become of Jim Brown of Jack Winters 
of all the boys” 

“You how dare you come back” 

“Help!help’will no one try to rescue him”? 

Have you studied Lesson > 1 

J. S .Taylor. 

I think it is proper, don’t you that some action 
should be taken? 


8 


FIFTH LESSON. 


THE COLON. 

The Colon is used 

1. After the salutation of a letter. 

Examples _Dear Sir: Gentlemen: 

2. Between hours and minutes when ex¬ 
pressed in figures. In railroad time-tables the 
period is used in this connection. While its use 
is perfectly justifiable on a time-table, where 
one knows that all figures have reference to 
time, the period between hours and minutes in 
any other connection might easily be mistaken 
for the decimal point. 

Examples.—10:10 A. M., 9:30 P. M. 

3. After a formal introduction to an enumer¬ 
ation of items or particulars. 

Examples.—W e are today shipping you the 
following: 

100 bu. Potatoes, 

25 bbl. Apples, 

10 “ Flour. 

“I cannot do that for two reasons: first, I am 
not a member of the state committee, and 
am therefore not eligible; .second, Chairman 
Smith is a more experienced man than I am.” 

4. After a formal introduction to a quotation. 

Example. —We quote the following from Gray’s 

“Elegy”: 

“The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day,” 
etc. 


9 


SIXTH LESSON. 


THE SEMICOLON. 

The Semicolon is not as much used now as 
formerly. In many constructions where the 
semicolon was used the comma has taken its 
place. However, it has certain definite uses 
that the comma cannot supply. 

Use a Semicolon 

1. After expressions in a series, dependent 
upon an introductory or final clause. 

Examples. —From Boston to New York; New 
York to Pittsburg; Pittsburg to Buffalo; Buf¬ 
falo to Albany; Albany back to Boston; this 
was the extent of my trip. 

“As to the grade of our present boasted civiliza¬ 
tion, Sutherland, in his “Origin and Growth 
of the Moral Instinct,” divides mankind into 
nine grades: lower, middle, and upper sav¬ 
agery; lower, middle, and upper barbarism; 
and lower, middle, and upper civilization.” 

The officers of the National Shorthand Teach¬ 
ers’ Association and their titles are as fol¬ 
lows: Charles T. Platt, President; D. D. 
Mueller, Vice-President; W. 0. Davis, Secre¬ 
tary. 

2. Between the clauses of a compound sen¬ 
tence in one or both members of which commas 
are used to show omission or enclose explana¬ 
tory expressions. 

Examples. —The car of oats goes tomorrow; 
the car of corn, Saturday. 


10 


He went back, after considerable delay, and 
hunted for it; but it had been picked up in 
the meantime. 

3. Between parts of a short compound sen¬ 
tence when those parts have very slight connec¬ 
tion. 

Example. —Send the best goods obtainable; 
spare no expense on them. 


11 


SEVENTH LESSON. 


THE COMMA. 

In the study of punctuation, the comma is of 
the most importance. It is more subtle, less 
definite, indicates finer shades of meaning than 
the others. To be able to use the comma cor¬ 
rectly is to have been sufficiently observant to 
have gained a knowledge of the correct use of 
the other punctuation marks, for all the others 
indicate more obvious separation. So, punctu¬ 
ation is largely a study of the use of the comma. 
We might paraphrase an old saying in this way, 
“Take care of the commas, the other marks will 
take care of themselves.” 

Read the following sentences, most of them 
taken from one page of Washington Irving’s 
sketch, “Rip Van Winkle.” See if you would 
have placed commas where they are used. 

1. “In fact, he declared it was of no use to 
work on his farm.” 

2. “His children, too, were as ragged and wild 
as if they belonged to nobody.” 

3. “On entering the amphitheatre, new objects 
of wonder presented themselves.” 

4. “His wife kept continually dinning in his 
ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and 
the ruin he was bringing on his family.” 

5. “He heard a voice from a distance hallooing, 
‘Rip Van Winkle, Rip Van Winkle/ ” 

6. “His cow would either go astray, or she 
would get among the cabbages.” 

12 


7. “His wife was hard-working; Rip, as lazy as 
could be.” 

8. “I’m not myself, I’m somebody else.” 

9. “He was after his favorite sport of squirrel 
shooting, and the solitudes had echoed and 
re-echoed with the reports of his gun.” 

Each of the nine illustrations just given is a 
type of a large class. The correct use of almost 
every comma you will come across in your read¬ 
ing will have a parallel in one of these sen¬ 
tences. To he able to understanding^ place 
the commas in these nine sentences is a great 
advance toward the goal of correct punctuation. 

Now, learn the following nine cases. Each 
case defines the preceding illustration of the 
corresponding number. Learn them by num¬ 
ber, so that if given the number you will in¬ 
stantly think of the wording of the case; or 
that if the case is stated, you will at once recall 
its proper number. 

Case 1. Introductory expressions. 

Case 2. Parenthetical and explanatory expres¬ 
sions. 

Case 3. Elements out of their natural order. 

Case 4. Elements in series. 

Case 5. Brief quotations. 

Case 6. Contrasted expressions. 

Case 7. Omissions. 

Case 8. Short compound sentences where the 
conjunction is omitted. 

Case 9. Long compound sentences. 


13 


EIGHTH LESSON. 

THE COMMA (Continued). 

In this lesson, we shall go somewhat into de¬ 
tail and explain the nine cases given in Lesson 
VII. 

Case I., yon remember, is “Introductory ex¬ 
pressions.” By the term “Introductory expres¬ 
sions” is meant such independent terms at the 
beginning of sentences as, “Yes,” “No, Sir,” 
“However,” “In fact,” and “After all.” 

Examples. —Young man, young woman, what 
are you learning to do well ? 

Answering your letter of Jan. 4th, the terms 
you quote are satisfactory. 

“Sweet smiling village, loveliest of the lawn, 

Thy sports are fled, and all thy charms with¬ 
drawn.” 

Case II.—Parenthetical and explanatory ex¬ 
pressions. Parenthetical and explanatory ex¬ 
pressions are often so nearly alike that we have 
combined them in one case. 

A parenthetical expression is one occurring 
within a sentence (not beginning or ending it) 
that adds emphasis, but really expresses no 
definite idea. Use comma at both beginning 
and end of a parenthetical expression. Common 
parenthetical expressions are, “nevertheless,” 
“therefore,” “as it were.” 

Examples. — I have no doubt, therefore, that 
you can secure his order. 

14 


He had, on the contrary, gone back for his coat. 

The verdict, as a matter of course, was that he 
was guilty. 

An explanatory expression is defined by its 
name—it explains something, and in this way 
differs from a parenthetical expression. 

Examples. —The goods, which were extremely 
unsatisfactory, were returned. 

Garfield, the second martyred president, was 
born in Ohio. 

Case III.—Elements out of their natural 
order. A word, phrase, or clause that occupies 
any other than its natural place in a sentence 
is out of its natural order, or transposed. In 
order not to run the transposed part in with the 
rest in reading the sentence, a comma is used to 
show the transposition. 

Examples _After having spent years in ac¬ 

cumulating it, his fortune was gone in a day. 

If you do only cheap things, you will be a cheap 
man. 

In the acquirement of shorthand skill, a good 
style of longhand is a great advantage. 

Case IV.—Elements in a series. Where there 
are more than two words, phrases, or clauses in 
succession, and they have the same construc¬ 
tion, we say they “form a series.” If a conjunc¬ 
tion connects them, no commas are used; but 
if the conjunction is omitted between all but 
the last two (and it is sometimes omitted be- 


15 


tween the last two, for emphasis), then commas 
are used for separation. 

Examples. —Coal, iron, steel and oil have in¬ 
creased in value. 

Coal, iron, steel, and oil have increased in value. 

The two illustrations given above present 
two ways of punctuating the same series. Some 
authorities say not to use the comma when the 
conjunction is used before the last member of a 
series, as between “steel” and “oil”; others say 
to use it, for if it is not used the last two mem¬ 
bers of the series have only the force of any 
one of the other members. They say that the 
conjunction is not intended to connect the last 
two, but the last one with the whole series; so 
the comma is as necessary before the last one 
as before the others. The first way is probably 
not scientific, but it is certain that if it is fol¬ 
lowed there is little danger of being misunder¬ 
stood. The second way is the logical one, but 
is not so common as the first. A person should 
adopt one of the two plans and stick to it. 

Example where all conjunctions are omitted. 

Coal, iron, steel, oil, have increased in value. 

(The omission of the conjunction before the 
last of the series gives force to the sentence, and 
requires that a comma follow.) 

Example where all conjunctions are used. 

Coal and iron and steel and oil have increased 
in value. 


16 


NINTH LESSON. 

THE COMMA (Continued). 

Case V.—Brief quotations. 

When a sentence, or part of one, is quoted 
without a formal introduction, a comma is used 
after the introduction. 

Examples. —As Caesar was going to the senate 
house, he saluted the seer, saying, “Well, the 
Ides of March are come.” But the seer mildly 
replied, “Yes, they are come, but they are not 
yet over.” 

Case VI.—Contrasted expressions. 

The name of this case is self-explanatory. 
Where the parts of a sentence are set over 
against each other, express a contrast, use the 
comma. 

Examples. —“It is simply my desire, not my 
command, that this shall be done.” 

It is I, not he. 

“It appears to me that in some of these pub¬ 
lished claims they have misrepresented, or 
that they are fools in not accepting a present 
of one hundred dollars.” 

Case VII.—Omissions. 

This case covers general omissions, except of 
conjunctions as explained in Case IV. 

Examples. —Milton was born in 1608; Dryden, 
in 1631; Pope, in 1688. 


17 


Chicago, Ill., Mar. 29, 1903. 

Mr. H. B. Bennett, Official Court Reporter, 
Franklin, Pa. 

1,250,961. 

Case VIII.—Short compound sentences 

where the conjunction is omitted. 

Many illustrations that come under this case 
also come under case VI., “Contrasted expres¬ 
sions.” This overlapping of these two cases, 
instead of weakening them, is an additional 
justification of the use of the comma. 

Examples. —Yes, it is true, I shall go. 

It is not only good, it is the very best. 

Case IX.—Long compound sentences. A 
comma is used between the members of a com¬ 
pound sentence, even if the connection is close. 

Examples. —“The death roll from typhoid at 
Ithaca continues to lengthen, and the people 
there begin to realize the fact that an epi¬ 
demic of this character cannot be wiped out 
in a week or a month.” 

You will very seldom need to use a comma 
that is not explained under one of these nine 
cases; hut, occasionally you will find some un¬ 
usual construction that seems to require one. 
To cover these irregular uses, we have a gen¬ 
eral rule, based largely upon judgment and 
common sense. If you have any doubt as to the 
use of a comma under this general rule, by all 
means omit the comma. Do not use it unless 


18 


you are absolutely certain that it is necessary 
to make the sense clearer. 

General Rule.—Use a comma to indicate a 
slight interruption in the grammatical con¬ 
struction of a sentence, where no other mark 
is applicable. 

Examples. —“The steamer went aground during 
a dense fog, the tide having been on the ebb 
for about half an hour.” 

“It was expected that the boat would not with¬ 
stand the severe strain caused by the receding 
tide, and would go to pieces.” 


TENTH LESSON. 


Exercise on the use of the Colon, Semicolon, and 

Comma. (All other marks are inserted.) 

This lesson is intended to test your knowl¬ 
edge of the use of the Colon, Semicolon, and 
Comma, particularly of the Comma. 

Indicate by placing a figure over each comma, 
the Case under which it comes; where one 
comes under the General Eule, show it by a 
“g- r ” 

Example. —Roughly speaking, 1 there are three 
theories of government, 2 which may be re¬ 
spectively designated as paternalism, 8 indi¬ 
vidualism, 4 and fraternalism. 

“Among these rescues one-third were by fire¬ 
men acting alone and sixty-one were acts of 
courage on the part of railway engineers 
brakemen switch-tenders or others employed 
on railways.” 

“More remarkable is the number of persons 
who not being in this employ make like ef¬ 
forts to save the lives of children women and 
drunken men from the swift approach of 
trains.” 

In my judgment the tariff on anthracite coal 
should be removed and anthracite put ac¬ 
tually where it now is nominally on the free 
list. 


20 


“As an object of primary importance promote 
the general diffusion of knowledge.” 

“The public library is of immense value to all 
our pupils especially to the poor child that 
can attend school but a few years.” 

“Perhaps it- is just as well that the public 
should not be shut off from a complete under¬ 
standing of the points at issue,and a stand¬ 
ing settlement by the commission ought to 
prove more nearly final than a compromise 
between the disputants.” 

It is an apt saying that “A bird in the hand is 
worth two in the bush.” 

It is right not wrong. 

You may go I shall remain here. 

After dinner he went to the office,later to the 
theatre. 

It is true and there is no help for it. 

The telegram read as follows “Will leave at 
630 if possible if not at 750.” 

“My persistent though deferential inquiries 
elicited from her in a wavering voice that 
she had not previously possessed the 
governor’s acquaintance that her entreaties 
had evoked only the governor’s wrathful or¬ 
ders to depart from the province on pain of 
sharing her father’s fate „and that La Chatre 
had refused to allow her even to see her 
father in his dungeon in the Chateau of 
Fleurier.” 

All of the executive committee were there,Mr. 
James of Philadelphia Mr. Williams of New¬ 
ark and Mr. Wright of Trenton. 


21 


ELEVENTH LESSON. 


THE DASH. 

The Dash is used 

1. To indicate an unexpected break in the 
thought or grammatical construction, or to 
show hesitation on the part of a speaker. If 
this broken part of the sentence is followed by 
the taking up of the thought preceding the 
interruption, then a dash is used to indicate its 
completion as well as its beginning. 

Example. —“Stenographers are not the only 
persons who are not quite as careful—no, 
perhaps it would be better to say thoughtful 
—as they should be.” 

Now taking up his criticism—but why should 
we pay any attention to it? 

“To do things profoundly well, never grows 
easy—grows always more difficult.” 

2. To indicate the omission of figures. 

Example. —Meeting of the Eastern Commercial 

Teachers’ Association, April 9-11, 1903. 

(This means April 9, 10, and 11.) 

3. Before the name of an author or speaker 
following something quoted from his writings 
or speeches. 

Example. —-A good many good things are lost 
by not asking for them.—McKinley. 


22 


TWELFTH LESSON. 

THE PARENTHESES. 

The parentheses enclose expressions that are 
explanatory in nature. The dividing line be¬ 
tween an expression that should he enclosed 
within parentheses and the ordinary explana¬ 
tory or parenthetical expression is rather vague. 
However, the following statement is a practical 
test the writer has employed for settling the 
matter in his mind, and it seems to decide the 
matter nicely. 

1. Enclose within the parentheses explana¬ 
tory expressions that in being spoken would be 
said in an undertone, or as an aside. 

Examples. —“He is likely (apt) to take of¬ 
fense.” 

“An amateur (literally, a lover) is one who 
pursues an art, science, or a game for the 
love of it, not for a livelihood.” 

“Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) may be 
considered as the founder of this poetic and 
romantic drama.” 

2 . When an amount expressed in words is 
followed by an expression of the same thing in 
figures, the figures should he enclosed in paren¬ 
theses. 

Example. —One hundred dollars ($100). 


23 


THIRTEENTH LESSON. 


THE BRACKETS. 

1. The brackets enclose an explanation made 
by some one other than the speaker or author of 
the quotation. 

As the brackets are not on the keyboard of 
the ordinary typewriter, the stenographer must 
use the parentheses, instead. This liberty is 
only allowable in typewritten work. 

Example. —“Pupils in public and private 
schools, 17,289,230 [it seems to the editor that 
this figure must be too high], an increase of 
278,520 over the previous year.” 

“I went into the army before I should have 
gone—before I knew I was in.” [Laughter.] 
“While woman may never be elected to Con¬ 
gress, she will continue to be the ‘Speaker 
of the House.’” [Applause.] 


FOURTEENTH LESSON. 

QUOTATIONS. 

The. use of the Quotation-marks is simple. 

Enclose within quotations 

1. The exact words of an author, speaker, or 
writer. 

Examples of this use of quotation-marks are 
found in the preceding lesson and in almost 
every lesson in this book. Refer to them. 

24 



2. Names of books, articles, and plays; but 
not names of newspapers. 

Examples. —Have you read “The Prisoner of 
Zenda”? 

“John Burt,” now running in the Tribune, is 
interesting. 

3. A technical word used outside of its usual 
connection. 

Example. —“In some instances the stenogra¬ 
pher is at liberty to ‘edit* what he tran¬ 
scribes.” 

4. An expression that is intended to imply 
something different from its ordinary meaning, 
used in a humorous or sarcastic sense. 

Examples. —“I passed over to the ‘silent ma¬ 
jority’—I got married.” 

The “novels” he wrote were “novel” indeed. 

5. When one quotation occurs within an¬ 
other, indicate the second one by single quota¬ 
tion-marks. 

Example. —“Yes,” he said, “I know it’s true 
that ‘Chickens come home to roost.’” 

6. If a quotation consists of more than one 
paragraph, use quotation-marks at the begin¬ 
ning of each paragraph and at the end of the 
last, not at the end of each. 


25 


FIFTEENTH LESSON. 

Exercise on the Dash, Parentheses, Brackets, 
and Quotation-marks. (All other 
marks are inserted.) 

Within a few years, the commerce of the West 
the speaker here named a dozen or more 
States will equal that of the States on the 
Atlantic. 

Yes, I think I will no I wont under any cir¬ 
cumstances ! 

Though the mills of God grind slowly, 

Yet they grind exceeding small. 

Longfellow. 

Robert Burns 1759 1796 occupies a singular 
position in literature. 

One afternoon I had been there a week we saw 
a horseman come galloping over the hill. 

Now, he said, you have said you believe that 
Honesty is the best policy. 

Yes, I call that a work of art (Indicate sar¬ 
casm in this sentence by use of two different 
punctuation marks.) 

The Sun comments very favorably upon Rich¬ 
ard Mansfield’s production of the play, 
Julius Csesar. 

Gentlemen, I know senator Baker Lincoln had 
known him for over thirty years; we were 
boys together in Illinois. 


26 



About Gregg School 


• REGG SCHOOL was organized in 1896 by 
Mr. John Robert Gregg, the author of Gregg 
Shorthand, with one main object in view—to 
produce more efficient stenographers than had 
ever been produced before. 



In that idea lay the inception of what is now the 
largest school in the world devoted exclusively to the 
teaching of shorthand and typewriting. 


Gregg School began its work in one room, with but 
one pupil and one teacher. The system of shorthand 
used was practically unknown at that time, and people 
were at first slow to appreciate the advantages of the 
system and the advanced methods of instruction Mr. 
Gregg introduced. 


But the first graduates of the school, by the quality 
of their service, their keen insight into the work they 
performed, and their superior technical skill, soon 
demonstrated that a new standard in stenographic 
efficiency had been established. 

The success of the school from that time on was an 
assured fact—the efficiency of its methods had been 
conclusively demonstrated. 

Gregg School had grown steadily and surely from 
year to year, both in attendance and prestige, under 
the influence of the marvelous simplicity of the system 
used and the effectiveness of the methods of instruc¬ 
tion employed. Its growth after the first two years 
was rapid—so rapid, in fact, that the school was com¬ 
pelled to move twice in order to secure larger and more 


27 




suitable quarters for the constantly increasing attend¬ 
ance. 

Briefly stated, the success of Gregg School is due: 
First, to the system of shorthand; second, to the ori¬ 
ginal and effective methods of teaching, by which the 
maximum of efficiency is attained with the minimum 
of effort and time on the part of the student; third, to 
the selection and employment in each department of 
well-trained and forceful teachers of national reputa¬ 
tion, each a specialist in his respective subject; and, 
fourth, to placing our graduates in the most desirable 
positions, which they have been able to fill successfully 
by reason of the well-rounded, practical course of 
training for which Gregg School has become noted. 

Gregg School has a national reputation, and each 
summer teachers of shorthand and typewriting from all 
over the United States and Canada attend the summer 
normal school in order to gain a knowledge of its 
methods of instruction. 

The quarters now occupied by the school in the 
Thomas Church Building were designed to meet our 
special requirements. They are spacious, well lighted 
and fitted with every modern convenience for the work 
to be done and for the comfort of the students. The 
Thomas Church Building is one of the most up-to-date 
office buildings in Chicago. It is thoroughly fireproof, 
and is pfovided with every modern appliance for safety 
and comfort. 

Send for our handsome prospectus, which gives full 
information about the school. Better still, visit the 
school and see for yourself the kind of work that is 
being done in it, its equipment and facilities for efficient 
training. 


28 




The Wonderful Success 
of Gregg Shorthand 


ESS than twelve years ago there were hardly 
fifty schools in the United States teaching 
Gregg Shorthand; to-day there are nearly 
seventeen hundred—more than half the 

schools teaching shorthand. It is taught in 150 schools 
in Illinois. Ninety-five schools in Ohio; 51 in Indiana; 
78 in Michigan; 77 in Minnesota; 83 in Missouri; 84 
in Iowa; 60 in Wisconsin; 66 in Kansas teach the sys¬ 
tem. Could a shorthand system win such wide popu¬ 
larity and become so universally used if it did not 
possess unusual merit? Gregg School is the headquar¬ 
ters of Gregg Shorthand. 

Wins International Shorthand Speed Contest 

In the Fifth International Shorthand Speed Contest, held at 
Washington, March 26, 1910, Gregg Shorthand won first, second 
and third places. 

Of the eighteen contestants, fourteen were writers of Pitmanic 
shorthand and four were writers of Gregg Shorthand. 

Every one of the Gregg writers qualified—one on two tran¬ 
scripts within the allotted time. 

Ten of the fourteen writers of Pitmanic shorthand were dis¬ 
qualified for inaccuracy or failed absolutely. 

World’s Records Established 

The winner, Fred H. Gurtler, of Chicago, exceeded by twenty- 
three words per minute the best previous record on non-legal 
matter in the International Contests for the Miner Medal. The 
winner of second place, Charles L. Swem, a seventeen-year-old 
boy, of New York, exceeded the best previous record in the 
Miner Medal Contests by fifteen words per minute. The winner 
of third place, Miss Salome L. Tarr, a seventeen-year-old girl, 
of Jersey City, N. J., established a world’s record for accuracy- 
99.4 per cent perfect. In the shorthand contest held at Balti¬ 
more October 1, 1910, Paula E. Werning, a writer of Gregg 
Shorthand, won first place with a transcript that was 100 per 
cent perfect. This is the first time in the history of the con¬ 
tests that a writer has submitted a perfect transcript on any 
kind of matter at any rate of speed. Miss Werning was also 
given honorable mention for the highest speed of any of the con¬ 
testants. 



29 






Gregg — the Shorthand that can be read 


Simplicity — Legibility — Speed 

The fact that every one of the Gregg writers who entered the 
contest qualified in both speed and accuracy shows conclusively 
that Gregg Shorthand is the most legible of all systems. 

That two writers of only seventeen years of age, with less 
than two years’ experience in writing shorthand, could decisively 
defeat trained shorthand writers of long practical experience, 
demonstrates more clearly than any argument could that the 
claims for simplicity and legibility of Gregg Shorthand are 
based on solid fact. 

Adaptability to Young Writers 

The success of Mr. Swem and Miss Tarr in this contest shows 
with striking forcefulness that Gregg Shorthand is not only 
adapted to the most difficult reporting, but that also the very 
highest grade of work may be done by even very young writers. 
This fact is of deep significance to those expecting to engage in 
stenographic work. It shows that an exceedingly profitable field 
is now open, through the medium of Gregg Shorthand, to thou¬ 
sands who could not succeed with the old-time methods of 
shorthand. 


Rational Touch Typewriting 

No other system of typewriting has ever produced anything like 
the number of expert typewriters that “Rational Typewriting” 
has. 

Mr. H. O. Blaisdell, the World’s Champion typist, is a product 
of Gregg School and “Rational Typewriting.” His record is 109 
words per minute for one hour, made in the International Con¬ 
test held simultaneously in London and New York, October 27, 
1910. 

Mr. J. L. Hoyt, the World’s Champion Amateur typist, learned 
typewriting from “Rational Typewriting.” His record is 95 
words per minute for one hour. 

Mr. Emil A. Trefzger, Champion typist of England, who won 
the Championship for the second time at London, October 18, 
1910, is a “Rational” operator. 

The “Brown Trophy,” competed for in the typewriting con¬ 
tests of the Central Commercial Teachers’ Association, has been 
won three times in succession by “Rational” operators—the last 
time, 1910, by Parker Woodson, a boy of but fourteen years 
of age. 

All of these typewriter experts are also expert 
writers of Gregg Shorthand. 


GREGG SCHOOL 

32 So. Wabash Avenue CHICAGO 


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